The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department provided details of its response Thursday morning to Hope Christian Church, located at 9273 Coach Stop Road south of Columbia.

Shortly before 7:50 a.m., MCSD deputies responded to the church – which also serves as the location of Monroe County Christian School – in response to the report of an individual found sleeping inside the building.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered the male subject had fled from a residence in unincorporated St. Clair County near Millstadt following an encounter with law enforcement. Communication between Monroe County investigators and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department revealed that the individual was possibly experiencing a mental health crisis and or under the influence of narcotics, and may have been armed with a firearm, an MCSD press release states.

Given this information, MCSD deputies requested additional assistance from Columbia and Waterloo police and the U.S. Marshals Service with canine units trained in detecting firearms.

As a precautionary measure, a temporary lockdown was implemented at the on-site school, which serves students from kindergarten through ninth grade. Law enforcement conducted a thorough sweep of the church property, but no firearm was located.

The man was detained by Monroe County deputies and transported by Columbia EMS, with a deputy accompanying the transport, to a local hospital for evaluation. After receiving medical treatment, the individual was transported to the Monroe County Jail, where police said he is being held pending further investigation.

After reviewing surveillance footage, investigators determined the individual had entered the church property around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday by forcing open a locked door to gain access to the building. The footage also showed this subject did not appear to be in possession of a weapon when entering, police said.

“This information is being released in the interest of transparency,” MCSD Sgt. Justin Biggs said. “At no point was there an immediate threat to the public, and law enforcement took all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the community.”

The case remains under investigation, police said, with findings to be presented to the Monroe County States Attorney’s Office for review and potential charges.